Heretics Anonymous by Katie Henry (review)

Already bitter about his family’s recent move, Michael seethes when he, a devout atheist, lands in a very traditional Catholic school. On his first day he meets Lucy, a girl also strongly questions church doctrine despite being a strong believer, and she and a few other rebels with different causes have formed a secret society they call Heretics Anonymous. When they invite Michael to join them, he encourages them to do more than just gripe about rules and conditions they find objectionable, and a small corner of hell breaks loose. Genuine and heartfelt doctrinal questions arise in between the pranks and the conversations Michael has with his new friends, allowing both believing and nonbelieving readers to find their way into this exploration of the way feelings about family and faith intersect. Each of the members of HA has personal reasons to question his or her faith traditions, including, for instance, Michael’s anger at his father, Avi’s gay identity and Jewish heritage, Lucy’s heartbreak over her mother’s abandonment, and Max’s nerdy eccentricities. The book offers a balanced perspective of possibilities of faith and skepticism through its realistic and respectful portrayal of a range of teens taking action, making mistakes, learning to forgive, and most of all, asking smart, important questions about things that matter.